Belgian civil servants will no longer be able to accrue unused sick leave starting 1 January 2027.
At the proposal of Civil Service Minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés), the Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree overhauling the sick leave rules for statutory civil servants.
New statutory civil servants in Belgium will no longer be able to accumulate unused sick leave under reforms approved by the Federal Government.
Until now, statutory civil servants have had the right to 21 days of sick leave each year. Any unused days can be carried over indefinitely, creating a reserve of paid sick leave that allows them to continue receiving their full salary during long periods of illness until those days are exhausted.
From 2027, newly appointed statutory civil servants will no longer build up this reserve. They will continue to receive their full salary for the first 30 days of sick leave, after which their income will be reduced to 60% of their salary.
The reform does not affect already existing accrued rights. Civil servants already in post will retain all accumulated sick leave up to 31 December 2026, while contractual public sector employees will remain under the current system.
Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) said the reform was part of a broader effort to modernise the public sector.
"We are putting an end to this typically Belgian system under which civil servants could accumulate sick leave year after year, while fully respecting acquired rights," he said.
The draft decree will now be submitted to the trade unions for consultation before being sent to the Council of State for legal advice.
